CSA - Week 14 Recipes!

Tomatillo Salsa Verde Recipe

To cook the tomatillos, you can either roast them in the oven, or boil them. Roasting will deliver more flavor; boiling may be faster and use less energy. Either way works, though boiling is a more common way to cook the tomatillos.

Ingredients
1 1/2 lb tomatillos
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 Jalapeño peppers OR 2 serrano peppers, stemmed, seeded and chopped
Salt to taste

Method
1 Remove papery husks from tomatillos and rinse well.

2a Roasting method Cut in half and place cut side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place under a broiler for about 5-7 minutes to lightly blacken the skin.

2b Boiling method Place tomatillos in a saucepan, cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove tomatillos with a slotted spoon.

2 Place tomatillos, lime juice, onions, cilantro, chili peppers, sugar in a food processor (or blender) and pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed. Season to taste with salt. Cool in refrigerator.

Serve with chips or as a salsa accompaniment to Mexican dishes.


ZUCCHINI LATKES WITH ROASTED PEPPER SOUR CREAM TOPPING

1 1/2 lb zucchini, grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup onion, grated
1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
4 eggs (1/4 cup)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp. minced fresh basil
1/2 tsp. Tabasco
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper

Grate zucchini using medium-fine grating disk of food processor or hand grater. Place zucchini in colander and sprinkle with salt. Let set 1 hour. Gently press out as much moisture as possible. Add grated onion and chopped pepper. Mix gently but thoroughly.
Combine eggs, Parmesan cheese, milk, basil, Tabasco, garlic powder and salt and pepper. Thoroughly whisk egg mixture until well combined.

Cooking instructions: Fold 1 1/4 cups egg mixture into 1 1/2 lb zucchini mixture. Combine 3/4 cup all purpose flour with 2 teaspoons baking powder; stir into egg/zucchini. Fold together gently until well blended.

Note: Adjust consistency of mixture as necessary, adding more liquid if mixture is too thick or more flour if mixture is too thin. Flour absorbs more or less moisture according to environmental humidity, so this adjustment for your conditions may be needed.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a grill or sauté pan. When hot, place a large scoop of the zucchini mixture onto hot oil. Press gently into 3-inch rounds.
Cook on both sides until golden brown (internal temperature should be at least 140°F).

Remove from pan and drain on absorbent towels. Serves 4.


Red Pepper Sour Cream Topping:

2 cups sour cream
1/4 cup red bell peppers, roasted & pureed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Brush peppers with olive oil. Roast peppers in a preheated 375°F oven until tender and streaks of brown appear. Combine ingredients thoroughly. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For each Portion: Serve 3 latkes with 3 tablespoons Red Pepper Sour Cream or 1 or 2 Zucchini Latkes with 2 other vegetables as a vegetable or vegetarian entrée.

CSA - Week 9 Recipes

Summer Squash Oatmeal Cookies

1 c. butter
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
2 c. summer squash, grated
3 1/2 c. oatmeal
1 c. raisins, optional
1 c. nuts, optional

Beat butter and sugar together well. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Mix dry ingredients together and add creamed mixture. Stir in summer squash, oatmeal, raisins and nuts. Drop onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes.


Chilled Cucumber Soup

Two 14 to 16 ounce cucumbers
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt plus more to taste
1 small scallion, trimmed and chopped
2 cups buttermilk or 1 cup milk plus 1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon minced fresh mint
1 teaspoon minced fresh dill
1 teaspoon minced flat-leaf parsley
Large pinch cayenne pepper plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste (optional)

Peel the cucumbers, trim the ends, cut in half lengthwise and scrape out the watery area where seeds would be. Coarsely chop. Crush the garlic and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt into a paste with the flat side of a chef's knife. Combine the cucumber, garlic, remaining salt, and the buttermilk in a blender and process until completely smooth. Add half of each of the herbs and the cayenne and pulse several times to combine. Transfer soup to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour or until thoroughly chilled. Before serving, season with salt, pepper, and lemon if desired. Divide among 4 soup bowls and sprinkle with the remaining herbs. Serve.

CSA Week 3 - Recipes

Post by: Whitney

I hope that those of you who received vegetables you have never eaten before are enjoying great cooking adventures in the kitchen. This week, you received the following in your basket: fresh garlic, kale, parsley, lettuce, carrots, summer squash, basil, cilantro, dill, loganberries, rosemary, chard.

Some recipe ideas for this week include:

Ginger Kale

1 bunch of kale
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 large cloves garlic
1 medium onion
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
juice of 1 lime
freshly ground pepper

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add kale and boil 2 to 3 minutes until slightly wilted. Drain in a colander.In a large skillet or wok, heat oil and butter, add garlic, onion, and ginger, and saute until onion is softened. Add kale, tossing until combined. Cover and cook over low heat just until kale is tender. Sprinkle with lime juice and toss. Grind fresh pepper over kale and serve.

Orzo, Chard and Squash Casserole

1 1/2 cups orzo
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup chopped fresh green basil
1/2 cup grated Muenster cheese
freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise, cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 bunch steamed chard, coarsely chopped, drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon drained capers
salt to taste
freshly grated cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add orzo and reduce heat, cooking until orzo is tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Drain, add butter, basil, cheese and freshly ground pepper. Set aside. In a large skillet heat oil, add zucchini and mushrooms and saute until almost tender stirring frequently, 3 to 5 minutes. Add chopped chard and garlic; continue cooking stirring frequently until zucchini is soft. Stir in capers. Toss vegetables with orzo and add salt to taste. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the top.

CSA Week 2 - Recipes

Pasta with Fresh Fava Bean Sauce:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano (or rosemary)
1-1/2 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups raw, shelled fava beans
3/4 pound dried fettuccine
4 oz. piece pecorino cheese or Parmesan cheese

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until hot. Add the garlic and 1 1/2 cup fava beans, saute briefly until garlic is light brown. Stir in the oregano, then add 1 cup of the stock. Bring to a boil, season with salt and pepper. Simmer to blend the flavors, about 3 minutes.

2. Scrape into a blender container and puree with the remaining 1/2 cup stock until smooth. Return the sauce to the pan and add the remaining 1/2 cup favas. Simmer gently and taste for seasoning. Add salt and especially pepper.

3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 12 minutes. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Pour the pasta into a warm serving bowl and add the sauce. Toss well and thin with the pasta water, if necessary, until the sauce is glossy and not sticky. Serve immediately and grate the cheese over the top at the table.

4. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the pasta. Just before serving, ladle a little hot pasta water into the bowl for a couple minutes to warm it up. Drain the water before filling the bowl with the pasta.


Italian Summer Squash Polenta Bake:

3 carrots, sliced
1 large zucchini, sliced
1 large yellow squash, sliced
1 red onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup spaghetti sauce
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 pinch garlic salt
ground black pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 (18 ounce) package prepared polenta

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Saute carrots, zucchini, squash, onion and bell pepper in a large saucepan with a small amount of olive oil. Season with garlic salt and pepper. Saute vegetables for approximately 5 minutes and pour in spaghetti sauce. Stir, cover and simmer until vegetables are slightly tender.

3. Slice polenta into 1/2 inch circles and season with garlic salt and pepper. Heat enough oil in a medium skillet so as to completely cover the entire bottom of the pan. Pan fry seasoned polenta in hot oil, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from oil and layer the slices in a large casserole dish. Spoon the vegetable mixture over the polenta and then sprinkle with Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

4. Bake casserole for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Serves 6